Improvement in furnaces for burning straw



2 Sheets sh eet 1.

1. n. KING," Furnace for Burning Straw. 0165,1659, Patent-ed july 6,1875.

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WITNESSES i/ gg a at? :D I 7' A M NJEYERS, rnofo uruocmnsn. wnsnmerqu. n c.'

2 Sheets--Sheet 2. J. R. KING.

Furnace for Burning Straw. N0,l65,169, Patentedlu|y6,1875.

. NJEIERS, EHOTD-LIIHOGRAPHER. WA$EINGTON D C that of the front set.

JAMES B. KING, or nonnsro, CALIFORNIA.

IMPRQVEMENT IN FURNACES FQR BURNING STRAW.-

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 65,169, dated July 6, 1875; application filed NovemberBO, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JAMES R. KING, of lfodesto, in the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented an Improved De vice for Burning Straw in Steam-Boiler Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

My invention consists in a novel construction of the fire-box or furnace and grate-bars by which both, or either, caube raised or lowered, so as to regulate the draft by contracting or expanding the fire-chamber; also, to

the novel construction and operation of a se ries of rakes, operating on the grate-bars so as to keep and place the straw in the desired position and promote combustion. It also relates to a novel hood or attachment to the furnace-door, through which the straw is fed to the furnace, and its quantity regulated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 represents a plan; Fig. 2, a front elevation, partly broken away; Fig. 3, a side sectional elevation, Sheet 2.

It should here be observed that in burning straw for steam purposes great difficulty has been experienced in preventing the ends of the lines of the boiler from becoming coated over with a'scale, or a charred and sticky product of the half-consumed straw, and in regulating the draft of the furnace, and keeping the grate-bars in such a condition that all of the straw which is fed to the furnace shall be consumed and not bank against the ends of the fines, in which position it remains in a semi-consnmed state,interrupting or retarding the combustion of the new straw to be fed to the machine, all of which it is believed is remedied in the use of my invention.

In Sheet 1 of the drawings, A is an ashpan or bottom of a furnace, in which is placed the grate-bars B, which consist of two sets in this connection, the rear set being nearer the bridge-wall, and constructed ofless width than These bars are constructed of round iron, and are held to the crossbars by bolts and nuts C, so that they flames. At each corner of these bars is attached an extension-leg, D, so that the front portions of the bars can be raised or lowered, or the wholeseries adjusted to the desired height or inclination. The pan is also constructed so as to be raised or lowered on theframe E, which is stationary, by means ofhandscrews operatingin the brackets F. In order to keep the grates'clear of cinders, and regulate the position of the straw which is being consumed, I employ the perforated rakes G G, set edgewise. These rakes are caused to move on the grate-bars by means of the handles H H, which extend outside of the fur:- nace to the front. By this means the position of the burning straw is changed from time to time with little agitation, and the cinders shoved or drawn over into the ash pan through the open space I between the two series of bars by pushing gradually back the rake G, and complete combustion is had without stirring up the mass, and causing it to rise with the draft of the furnace and be carried back in a half-consumed state against the bridge-wall and fines of the furnace and boiler. A hood, J, is attached to the ordinary doorhole of the furnace, and is intended to take the place of the ordinary door. It consists of a bonnet-shaped funnel, and is provided with an apron or flap, K, which can be raised or lowered, by means of the set-screw L, so as to contract or enlarge the opening to the furnace, and hold the straw more compact, and prevent it from being drawn so rapidly into the furnace by the great draft, which is so liable to be created in employing so light a substance for fuel. As a further preventive to the slighter portion being carried to thebridgewall of the furnace, a swinging perforated flap or plate, M, is loosely connected to the arms M M, which are fixed to the inner end of the bonnet, as shown. This extends over the front end of the first series of bars, and,

when the straw is crowded through the feed--' bonnet, the lower edge of the flap will be carried inward at an incline and retard or bar the further ingress of the loose particles at the top. This plate, however, need only to be used when short fire boxes are employed. The straw to be consumed is fed through the honcan be easily renewed when destroyed by the l net,which is always kept filled, especially the mouth, or that portion next to the furnace, so

that when feeding the quantity is pushed forward as necessity requires. A cap or cover, N, is attached to the front end of the hood to close the entrance, and perforated screens 0 O are placed in front of the hearth of the firebox to prevent ignition of the loose straw, which may become detached in feeding.

These screens may be substituted for plain or close plates or screens when moving the machine from place to place, or when the working of the engine for the day ceases.

It should here be observed that in applying my device to most engines now constructed it will be necessary to lengthen the smoke-pipe and enlarge the bottom of the smoke-stack in the form of an inverted cone, and also lower the exhanstpipe, so that it will be surrounded by the flame from the furnace, and superheat the steam in its exitfrom the siphon into the stack.

In case the fines of the boiler become obstructed,Iemploy steam from the boiler, which is direct-ed into the smoke-stack and superheated in a separate pipe from the one above described, and directed through the fines.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the grates B and B, provided with the open space I between them, substantially as set forth and specified.

2. The combination of the grates B and B, having the open space Lwith the ash-pan made adjustable by means of the extension-legs D D, substantially as set forth and specified.

3. The grates B and B when provided with the open space I, in combination with the rakes G G, arranged to operate substantially as described.

4. The hood or bonnet feeding device, with its compressing-plate K, in combination with means for enlarging the entrance, consisting JAMES R. KING. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

G. W. M. SMITH, PHILIP DIAI-ILER. 

